The Selection Process

Appointments to the boards, commissions and committees are made by the Carlsbad City Council as vacancies occur. The length of term for appointments varies depending upon the vacancy and position. The appointment policy and process are outlined in the Carlsbad Municipal Code section 2.06.070.

To serve on a city board, commission or committee, interested residents must submit an application to the Office of the City Clerk. For all commissions except the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District and the Carlsbad Golf Lodging Improvement District applicants must be registered to vote in the City of Carlsbad and a Carlsbad resident (see Carlsbad Municipal Code 2.08.090). Some positions have additional requirements or preferred areas of expertise.

Appointment Process

The Carlsbad Municipal Code specifies the following appointment process for boards, commissions and committees:

Nominations for the Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission may be made by any member of the City Council.

Nominations for all other boards and commissions are made by the mayor.

Nominations must be approved, also called “confirmed,” by a majority vote of the City Council.

Notice of Vacancies

The California Government Code sections 54970 to 54974 require cities to create a list of terms that will be expiring, names of the incumbents, date of appointments and date of expirations for the upcoming calendar year. This list must be made available to the public at city libraries on or before Dec. 31. The City of Carlsbad also makes this list available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the city website.

How to Apply

To be considered, please submit an application to the Office of the City Clerk.

Application Process

Notice of Vacancies

In addition to the required annual announcement of planned vacancies, the Office of the City Clerk announces each vacancy, planned and unplanned, as it occurs throughout the year. Announcements are typically made 30 to 45 days prior to the vacancy.

Announcements of all vacancies are made on the city website and promoted through a news release, via the city’s weekly enewsletter and on city social media channels.

Deadlines for Applications

Applications are accepted year-round and remain valid through Dec. 31 of each year.

Applicants may submit an application each year if they would like to remain under consideration.

To be considered for a specific planned or unplanned vacancy, and to allow sufficient time for interviews by Council Members, it is recommended that applications be received by the deadline specified by the Office of the City Clerk. This deadline is typically 30 days following the announcement of the vacancy.

City Council Consideration

When a vacancy occurs, whether planned or unplanned, the Office of the City Clerk notifies all City Council members and provides copies of all applications currently on file.

Any additional applications received by the Office of the City Clerk are provided to members of the City Council as soon as the applications are received and eligibility is verified by staff.

Council members may choose to interview applicants, however that is done at their discretion and is not part of the process administered by the Office of the City Clerk.

The Office of the City Clerk will place an appointment on the City Council agenda for consideration. This is typically not scheduled less than 30 days following the vacancy announcement. The staff report prepared by the Office of the City Clerk includes copies of all applications under consideration.

Swearing in

Once an applicant has been selected to serve, the Office of the City Clerk will schedule a meeting to administer the oath of office, schedule required ethics training and provide a statement of economic interest to be filled out and filed. The term begins once the member is sworn in.

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